Parliament

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Head of state
The cheif public representative of a country, such as a monarch or president.
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Legislature
The branch of government that passes laws.
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Parliament
An assembly that has the power to debate and make laws.
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The westminster model
The way of understanding the British system, it focusses on constitution and major institutions. It claims that it is the ideal. Key features are parliamentary sovereignty,uncodified constitution,cabinet government,FPTP,two party system,unitary state
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Bicamerlaism
Having two chambers of legislature, the lower house is usially elected and tends to be dominant. The upper house may be directly or indirectly elected or both. It has benifits like, checking eachother and providing scrutiny and revision.
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Motion of no confidence
A parliamentary motion which if passed requires the resignation of the government and the dissolution of parliament.
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Backbencher
An MP who does not hold a ministerial or a shadow ministerial position.
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Division
A vote in parliament
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Frontbencher
The opposite of a backbencher fool! :P
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Whip
A party official who ensures that MPs toe the party line when it comes to voting and a whip is also an instruction to MPs on how to vote.
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Parliamentary Sovereignty
The doctrine that parliament has absolute legal authority within the state. Parliament can make law on anything and the descision may not be over turned by anyone and it may not bind its succesors. EU membership and devolution however question it.
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Peer
A member of the house of lords.
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Hereditary peers
Peers who get their peerage by inheriting it, but in 1999all but 92 hereditary peers were removed.
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Life peers
The PM can appont peers for doing something in society but only they hold their peerage and it cannot be passed down.
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Lords Spiritual
Two archbishops and 24 senior bishops of the CofE also sit in the house of Lords.
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Lords of appeal
Senior judges who sit in the house of lords.
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Act
A legislative proposal that has completed the legislative process and entered into law.
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Bill
A legislative proposal that has yet to complete the legislative process.
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Green Paper
A government document setting out various options for legislation and inviting comment.
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Public Bill
A bill concerning a general issue of public policy, introduced by a government minister.
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White paper
A government document setting out a detailed proposal for legislation.
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Committee of the whole house
A meeting held in the chamber in which the full House of Commons considers the committee stage of a public bill.
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Private member's bill
A bill sponsored by a backbencher.
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Secondary legislation
Law made by ministers, who have been granted this authority by an act of parliament, rather than by parliament.
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Accountability
The idea that officials in politics must account for their actions to the electorate.
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Policy making legislatures
These amend or reject legislative proposals made by the executive, and can put forward alternative bills.
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Policy influencing legislatures
These can modify or reject legislative proposals from the executive but are unable to develop extensive legislative proposals of their own.
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Legislature whith little or no policy influence
These are unable to modify or veto legislative proposals from the executive, and cannot formulate meaningful alternative policy proposals of their own.
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Public accounts committee
The oldest committee which examines government expenditure to check that value for money is being achieved.
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Standards and privileges committee
Examines the conduct of MPs overseeing the register of interests and dealing with discoplinary cases against MPs
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Modernisation committee
Examines how the practices and procedures of the house of commons might be reformed. Unusually, it is chaired by a government minister.
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Liaison committee
This includes the chairs of all select committees.
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European scrutiny committee
This assesses the significance of European Union docments, reporting in detail on about 475 of the 1000 or more it receives each year.
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Parliamentary rebellion
A division in which MPs vote against their party whip, DUN DUN DUUHHHH!!
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Legislature

Back

The branch of government that passes laws.

Card 3

Front

Parliament

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

The westminster model

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Bicamerlaism

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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